There were some nail biting run chases in Maitland first grade with Kurri Weston and Raymond Terrace celebrating - and Easts and Tenambit Morpeth ruing wins that slipped through their fingers. At East Maitland Park, Kurri somehow managed to snatch the most unlikely of wins with Easts resuming at 2-109 in reply to Kurri's 174. But on a day when wickets just kept tumbling, Easts lost their last four wickets for five runs to fall agonisingly short, dismissed for 170. "We took a wicket in the first over of the day, and then a couple more inside the first hour and the pressure started to build," Kurri captain Tyler Power said. "We felt we were right in it after the first couple of wickets fell. And then it was one of those really exciting, tense finishes." The win was Kurri's first of the season and, with four teams on one win each, keeps them right in the thick of the action. "We bowled really well - Dylan Rumble (3-45) and Jack Sylvester (3-36) were both excellent - and we caught all our catches for a change which was nice," Power said. "And when Al Seamer got the big wicket of Jack Bennett, we were able to go through the lower order." For Easts though, it was time for some soul searching after the game. "I reckon we bottled it and we spoke about it after the game," captain Jack Bennett said. 'We're still a young side, we had a couple of 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old playing, but that game was there to be won," he said. "Kurri bowled really well, but we lost two wickets in the first three overs ... five in the opening 19 overs of the day. "No one was able to stick around long enough to get that steadying partnership we needed. Very disappointing. But we're still doing a lot of things right, so we're going to learn from it and hopefully be better for it." Kurri too, feel better things lie ahead. "We lost six players from last year's grand final side. But we picked up Dylan and Ben Herring from Wallsend who scored 50-odd batting at number 3 - they're good players, and we have others coming up from seconds. "I think we'll be all right, but we're still getting there." At Raymond Terrace, the home side was in an even more commanding position when play resumed, with Tenambit in all sorts of trouble at 4-2 in reply to Terrace's 9-196 declared. Two early wickets had Tenambit reeling at 6-10 with an outright win was an outside chance. But a swashbuckling 50 off about 20 balls gave Tenambit hope, and then Ryan and Shane Wind got together and steadied the innings. "They played really well," Raymond Terrace skipper Steve Smith conceded. "They were patient, scored when the chance came along ... played intelligently, ran hard between the wickets. "They put on about 100 and I kept the field up, trying to take the wicket - I knew if we could break the partnership we would win. "In the end we broke the partnership, but then the last pair put on 20 which added to the excitement." The win was Terrace's third from three matches - a great start to the season, but Smith is not getting carried away. "We're still rebuilding and just happy the way things are going, one game at a time," he said. "I think at this stage City are a class above." Norths scored a comfortable win over Thornton, chasing down Thornton's 200 for the loss of five wickets, and Wests batted most of the day to hold City to a first innings win.

Nail biting run chases in Maitland District cricket

There were some nail biting run chases in Maitland first grade with Kurri Weston and Raymond Terrace celebrating - and Easts and Tenambit Morpeth ruing wins that slipped through their fingers.

At East Maitland Park, Kurri somehow managed to snatch the most unlikely of wins with Easts resuming at 2-109 in reply to Kurri's 174.

But on a day when wickets just kept tumbling, Easts lost their last four wickets for five runs to fall agonisingly short, dismissed for 170.

"We took a wicket in the first over of the day, and then a couple more inside the first hour and the pressure started to build," Kurri captain Tyler Power said.

"We felt we were right in it after the first couple of wickets fell. And then it was one of those really exciting, tense finishes."

The win was Kurri's first of the season and, with four teams on one win each, keeps them right in the thick of the action.

"We bowled really well - Dylan Rumble (3-45) and Jack Sylvester (3-36) were both excellent - and we caught all our catches for a change which was nice," Power said.

"And when Al Seamer got the big wicket of Jack Bennett, we were able to go through the lower order."

For Easts though, it was time for some soul searching after the game.

"I reckon we bottled it and we spoke about it after the game," captain Jack Bennett said.

'We're still a young side, we had a couple of 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old playing, but that game was there to be won," he said.

"Kurri bowled really well, but we lost two wickets in the first three overs ... five in the opening 19 overs of the day.

"No one was able to stick around long enough to get that steadying partnership we needed. Very disappointing. But we're still doing a lot of things right, so we're going to learn from it and hopefully be better for it."

Kurri too, feel better things lie ahead.

"We lost six players from last year's grand final side. But we picked up Dylan and Ben Herring from Wallsend who scored 50-odd batting at number 3 - they're good players, and we have others coming up from seconds.

"I think we'll be all right, but we're still getting there."

At Raymond Terrace, the home side was in an even more commanding position when play resumed, with Tenambit in all sorts of trouble at 4-2 in reply to Terrace's 9-196 declared.

Two early wickets had Tenambit reeling at 6-10 with an outright win was an outside chance.

But a swashbuckling 50 off about 20 balls gave Tenambit hope, and then Ryan and Shane Wind got together and steadied the innings.